The vessel through which we are or are not guided to Allah is the heart. The heart of which I speak is beyond any mere pumping muscle. The heart of which I speak encapsulates the soul, intimately connects to our intellect and is the essence of our existence. Allah guides whom He wills. This is not to be supposed a simple and unconditional favouritism. If a man does not make or attempt to make his mind and character in the right direction, set himself on the right course with sincerity and earnestness, then no amount of searching will gain the least bit of success. As C. S. Lewis puts it, ‘sunlight, though it has no favourites, cannot be reflected in a dusty mirror as clearly as a clean one.’
When we set ourselves in the wrong direction, the direction of sin and transgression, our hearts become rusty, tarnished, the shiny gleam dulled, reflecting less the light of guidance than those hearts that are polished with good deeds, repentance, constancy and pure intentions. Guidance breeds guidance. Each of its rays can, when followed, crack and chisel and polish away those blackened spots of rust; but those spots, if left, will cause the heart to blur its vision of its Lord, and thus be misguided. In such a condition, whatever light of guidance penetrates it is distorted by the mind and character unpolished, corrupted and thus corrupting and therein we see the misguidance of the world…
Oh our Lord, please guide us and do not misguide us, make it easy for us and make it not hard!
Beautifully expressed.